Sound-modifier for phonographs.



P. MM. MAcCASKIE.

SOUND MODIFIER FOR PHONOGRAPHS. APPLICATIONFILED sEPT. 1. I916. RENEWED Inc. 10. I911.

siding at Hot Springs,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFII'CE.

PETER HAOALLISTEB MAOGASKIE, 01 HOT SPRINGS, TERRITORY OF ALASKA.

SOUND-MODIFIER FOR PHONOGRAIPHS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 7, 1916, Serial 1%. 118,889. Renewed December 10, 1917. Serial No. 208,545.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER MAoA. MAC- a citizen of the United States, re Territory of Alaska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound-Modifiers for Phonographs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to phonogra h sound boxes and particularly to means or regulating or modifying and thereby improving the tone of a phonograph without the necessity of changing the needles.

I The general object of my invention is the rovision of a device of this character which CASKIE,

is adapted to be detachably mounted upon' an ordinary sound box and he therefore appllcable to a large number of different phonogra hs.

A urther object of the invention 18 to provide a device of this character which has a tone modifyin element which may be applied to the sty us arm or lever at various points therealon so as to dampen, modify or soften the vi rations of the diaphragm and thus achieve the same object as is achieved b' changing the needles or styli from her needles to medium and soft needles.

A further ob ect of the invention in this connection is to provide a dampening or modif ing member composed of a combination of dlfierent substances disposed in such relation to each other that the modfying member may be shifted to bring any one o the different substances into engagement with a stylus arm, to thus variously modify the action of the stylus arm,

A further object of the 1nvent1on 1s to provide means whereby the tone modifying element may be pressed with greater or less a force against the stylus arm.

Still another "object is to provide a shiftin tone modifying element, shiftablenot 0nd into various positions relative to the sty us arm itself, but also into various positions with relation to the diaphragm.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

-ner and which transfers the vibrations of the record tablet to the diaphragm B. These parts, of course, are those commonl found on phonographs and form no part 0 my invention.

My invention consists in the provision of a sound modifying or controlling member which may be isposed against and engages with the stylus arm, and as illustrated, this member which is designated 10, is cubical in form and is made of rubber or composition having an insert 10 of metal on one of its faces and an insert 10 of wood, for instance,

on another face. WhileI have illustrated a cubical member havin two inserts, it will be understood that t is member 10 may have any desired or necessary form as hexagonal or octa onal and may have .a large number of di erent inserts, the inserts being of different materials. Preferably, however, the member 10 has a plurality of flat faces so that each face but one may carry an insert, one face however, having no insert so that the material of the member 10 itself may contact with the arm C.

For the purpose of supporting the member 10 in position for ad ustment, I preferably provide a clip 11 which is made of resilient material and adapted to spring) into place upon a sound box, this clip 11 eing provided with inwardly extending lugs12 which will embrace the edge of the sound box. T his clip 11 at diametrically opposite points is provided with outward y extending arms 13, between the upper ends of which is pivoted the cross bar 14. This cross bar at its middle is transversely perforated and throu h this perforation or aperture passes a rod 16 which at its inner end is connected to or engaged with the modifying member 10. Preferably this rod 16, intermediate its ends, is screw-threaded for engagement with a nut 17 which is disposed in a slit 18 formed in the cross bar 14, the nut projecting beyond the edges of this bar 14 so that it may be readily manipulated b the fingers. By turning this nut in one irection or the other, the rod16 will be lon itudinally shifted. The cross bar 14 is a so held in its adjusted positions by any suitable device and to this end one of the arms 13 is formed with an inwardly projecting gudgeon 31 which extends into the bar 14, this gudgeon being screw-threaded and carrying a nut 19. When this nut is turned up it will bind upon the arm 14 and holds this arm in its ad'usted positions. The outer extremity of t e rod 16 is provided with a finger piece 20 whereby the rod may be rotated.

In the practical use of my invention a full tone needle or styl s 15 used which is designed to produce the nally sung or played. When it is desired that this full tone shall be re roduced the modifying member 10 is shi ted so as to be entirely out of engagement with the diahragm or the stylus arm C. If, however, it be desirableto soften this tone or otherwise modify it, the modifying member 10 is brought into contactwith the arm C, preferably at the point of juncture of the arm 0 with the dia hra The sound will be accordingly mo ifie depending upon the particular insert which is brought in contact with the stylus or needle arm, and depending upon the degree of pressure with which the modifying element is urged against the diaphragm or stylus arm. While I have found that the best results are secured by bringing the modifying elements a ainstthe stylus arm at its juncture with t e stylus arm, yet it is obvious that the modifying element may be disposed against any portion of the arm or against any portion of the diaphragm so as to secure the best results in modi ying the vibrations of the diaphragm.

The adjustment of the sound modifying member against the diaphra m is secured by rotatin the clip 11 upon t 8 sound box to such a degree that the screw threaded rod 16 will extend down at an angle tothe plane of the stylus arm C and then rotating the nut 17 until the sound modifyin member 10 is brought into firm contact with the diahragm. When the sound modifying memer is brought into firm contact with the diaphragm the rotation of the cross bar 14 may be Brevented and the sound modifying mem or held in firm engagement with 11 tone as origi-.

the dia hragm by screwing down the nut 19 until the cross bar is firmly held in its ad'usted position.

y the use of my device the phonograph or other sound reproducing machine will produce an volume of tone required not to exceed the ull tone of the needle. Any tone or pitch required will be produced to suit the operator and the modifier can be brought into contact with any art or portion of the needle arm or diap ra m.

I have illustrated the modfier as composed of three different materials which will produce as many different volumes of sounds. Though I have only illustrated three different materials combined in the modifier, I do not wish to confine myself to any specified combination of compounds and metals. Neither do I wish to confine myself to any particular form or shape of modifier as this may be varied within wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is obvious that with my device it is not necessary to change the needles until they become worn out and that my modifying device gives a complete musical control. While I have illustrated the sound modifying member as ap lied to the stylus carrying arm C, I have dbnethis so that the construction may be clearly illustrated, but in actual practice the best results have been secured by applying the sound modifying member 10 to the arm C at its juncture with the diaphragm.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a diaphragm and a stylus supporting arm, of a sound modifying device includin a sound modifying member composed 0 elements of different materials dis osed to form a lurality of faces, the mo ifying member being mounted to bring any one of said faces and thereby any one of said elements into contact with the diaphragm or the stylus arm;

2. The combination with a sound box, a diaphragm and a stylus supporting arm, of

a tone modifying device operatively mounted in connection with the sound box and including a, tone modifying member shiftable into engagement with the diaphragm or thestylus supporting arm, said to e modifier being composed of different materials and being shiftable to bring any one of said materials into contact with the diaor arm.

phragir n 3. he combination with a diaphragm,

and a stylus supportin modifying device inclu ing a sound modifying member havin inserts of different materials, the modigying member being mounted to brin any one of said inserts into contact wit the diaphragm or the stylus arm.

4. The combination with a diaphragm, and

arm, of a sound a stylus supporting arm, of a rotatably mounted bar operatively supported in connection with the diaphragm, a rod rotatably mounted in and longitudinally shiftable through the bar, and a sound modifying meimber mounted upon the inner end of said ro 5. The combination with a sound box, 1 diaphragm, and a stylus supporting arm, of a cross bar rotatably mounted in conjunction with the sound box, a rod passing through the cross bar and adjustable rotatably and longitudinally therein, and a sound modifying member carried on the end of said rod having a plurality of faces, certain of said faces being provided with inserts of different materials adapted to be brought in contact with the diaphragm or the stylus from,

carrying arm. A a

6. The combination With a sound box, a diaphragm, and a stylus supporting arm, of supporting members operatively connected to the sound box extending out therea cross bar rotatably adjustable upon the supporting members, a rod extending through the cross bar and rotatable and longitudinally movable therethrough, a nut mounted on the cross bar having screwthreaded engagement with the rod, and a SOInCl modifying element mounted on the ro 7 An attachment for phonographs comprising a clip adapted to be engaged with a sound box, said clip having supporting arms extending therefrom, a cross bar mounted on the supportin arms, and a sound modifying member aving a plurality of sound modifying faces and operatively supported on the crom bar for rotative and longitudinal adjustment.

8. The combination with a sound box, a diaphragm and a stylus carrying member, of a damper operatively supported upon the sound box and adjustable into contact with the different portions of the diaphragiri or with the needle supporting arm.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER MACALLISTER, MAGCASKIE.

Witnesses:

J, LAUDERS, Mrs. W. T. BARR. 

